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A school reunion for Albert Brooks and Rob Reiner
Sixty years ago Rob Reiner and Albert Brooks met at Beverly Hills High School in a drama class. Recently they returned. “This is the first time both of us have been back since we graduated,” said Reiner.
“Over a certain age, it’s against the law,” added Brooks, who riffed on memory and reunions: “When you have to confront the actual people you were with [back then] – ‘Oh my God, who are you? You’re my grandmother?’ ‘No, you were in love with me.’ Oh my God!”
“You liked older women,” Reiner explained.
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They haven’t been back, but they’ve remained close friends for six decades, as Reiner went from playing Meathead in Norman Lear’s “All in the Family” to a career as a top-tier movie director: “A Few Good Men,” “Misery,” “When Harry Met Sally.” Rob’s father, legendary comedian and writer Carl Reiner, knew funny as well as anyone, and during an appearance on “The Tonight Show” in 1963, singled out his teenaged son’s teenaged friend, referring to 16-year-old Albert Einstein (Brooks’ birth name) as the funniest person he knew.
Brooks changed his name at the start of his career because of the other guy named Albert Einstein. His parents, Harry Einstein, a famous radio comic known, and his wife, Thelma, never owned up to why they burdened their son with the name of the world’s most famous physicist: “I asked. Believe me, I asked,” he said. “And all I got was, ‘Ask your dad.’ ‘Ask your mom.’ Nobody would tell me.”
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Albert Brooks went on to become the funniest comedian of his generation, relativity speaking. Reiner said, “He can’t split the atom, but he can create energy through laughter.”
Brooks’ originality was on display as soon as he found an audience, mostly on variety shows in the late 1960s and ’70s. Rather than tell jokes, he performed extended bits and created characters, like the world’s least-talented ventriloquist:
Albert Brooks on “The Flip Wilson Show” in 1972:
Brooks said, “It was like an elixir. I mean, it could make dead people laugh. It made everyone laugh. So, I kept getting jobs because of it.”
As Brooks kept working, Reiner kept pestering with a request: let me make a movie about your life.
Reiner’s documentary, “Albert Brooks: Defending My Life,” is currently streaming on Max. Why now? “Because he wouldn’t do it when I wanted to do it!” Reiner said.
Brooks (whose credits include the voice of Marlin in “Finding Nemo”) said, “There’s a lot of young people who, if they know me at all, they know me as a fish. You just would like to say, ‘You know, there’s more to it.’ And you can’t [say it] yourself on a street corner, ’cause that’s mental illness: ‘Well, wait a minute, I’m not just a fish. Do you know that in 1975 –’ ‘Look, I gotta, my car is here.'”
And Reiner helped out: “I knew all the things that Albert had done. I knew how brilliant he was. I wanted them to know.”
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There’s a lot to know. In 1971, Brooks wrote a piece for Esquire Magazine about the Albert Brooks Famous School for Comedians. It didn’t exist, but some didn’t get the joke. He got 2,000 applicants. “I had a two-page ‘talent test,’ the silliest test you ever saw,” Brooks said.
Soon after came a short film about the non-existent school, a pioneering example of the mockumentary:
Then came what might have been his big break. In 1974, Lorne Michaels was preparing a sketch comedy show for NBC that would become “Saturday Night Live.” He asked Brooks to be the permanent host; Brooks turned him down. “Can you imagine – 50 years, you’re doing that?” laughed Reiner.
Instead, Brooks made short films for “SNL”‘s first season, which led to his true calling: writing, directing and starring in some of the funniest – and most deliberately uncomfortable – movies of their time: “Real Life,” “Modern Romance,” “Lost in America,” “Defending Your Life,” and the semi-autobiographical “Mother” costarring Debbie Reynolds.
All of this in addition to his work as an actor, most memorably schvitzing his way to screen immortality in “Broadcast News.”
When he is described as “The Marx Brothers meet Richard Pryor,” Brooks said, “Well, that’s the greatest thing I ever heard. Because that’s four people!“
Back at their old high school, the two old pals found themselves at the Wall of Fame – friends still making each other laugh.
Though don’t expect a duet: Reiner went solo serenading us with the school hymn, where memory allowed: “Oh Beverly, we love you, our loyalty we sing. To thee all faith, all honor, our praises we sing. Our custom, traditions bring glory to thee … We love you, the, the, Beverly …’ and then there’s the end.”
“We need help!” Brooks cried out.
To watch a trailer for “Albert Brooks: Defending My Life” click on the video player below:
For more info:
Story produced by Gabriel Falcon. Editor: George Pozderec.
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How to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears NFL game today: Livestream options, more
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The Minnesota Vikings will take on the Chicago Bears today. The Vikings are currently 8-2, an impressive run so far this season, and will be looking to add a fourth win to their current streak after last Sunday’s 23-13 win against the Tennessee Titans. The Bears, on the other hand, are entering this game on the heels of a four-game losing streak after a tough 20-19 loss against the Green Bay Packers last Sunday.
Here’s how and when you can watch the Vikings vs. Bears game today, whether or not you have cable.
How and when to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears
The Vikings vs. Bears game will be played on Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT). The game will air on Fox and stream on Fubo and the platforms featured below.
How and when to watch the Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears game without cable
You can watch this week’s NFL game on Fox via several streaming services. All you need is an internet connection and one of the top options outlined below.
Fubo offers you an easy, user-friendly way to watch NFL games on CBS, Fox, NBC, ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network, plus NCAA football channels. The Pro tier includes 200+ channels and unlimited DVR, while the Elite with Sports Plus tier adds NFL RedZone and 4K resolution. New subscribers get a seven-day free trial and all plans allow streaming on up to 10 screens simultaneously.
You can watch today’s game with a subscription to Sling’s Orange + Blue tier, which includes ESPN, ABC, NBC, and Fox. The plan offers 46 channels with local NFL games, nationally broadcast games and 50 hours of DVR storage. For complete NFL coverage, add Paramount+ to get CBS games, or upgrade with the Sports Extra add-on for additional sports channels like Golf Channel, NBA TV and NFL RedZone.
Watching NFL games, including Fox broadcasts, is simple with Hulu + Live TV, which includes 90 channels, unlimited DVR storage, and access to NFL preseason games, live regular season games and studio shows. The service includes ESPN+ and Disney+ in the subscription.
Want to watch today’s game live on your smartphone? If so, NFL+ streaming service is the solution you’re looking for. It lets you watch NFL Network and out-of-market games on mobile devices, with an upgrade option to NFL+ Premium that includes NFL RedZone for watching up to eight games simultaneously. Note that NFL+ only works on phones and tablets, not TVs.
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How to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts NFL game today: Livestream options, more
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The Detroit Lions will face off against the Indianapolis Colts today. The Lions enter this game as top contenders with a near-perfect record of 9-1 so far this season. The Colts, who are 5-6 this season, could have a tough game on their hands against the Lions but will be looking to rack up another win after prevailing over the New York Jets in a tight game last Sunday.
Here’s how and when you can watch the Colts vs. Lions game today, whether or not you have cable.
Here’s how and when to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts
The Lions vs. Colts game will be played on Sunday, November 24, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT). The game will air on Fox and stream on Fubo and the platforms featured below.
How and when to watch the Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts game without cable
You can watch this week’s NFL game on Fox via several streaming services. All you need is an internet connection and one of the top options outlined below.
Experience NFL action like never before with Fubo’s comprehensive sports streaming platform. From Sunday showdowns to primetime matchups, catch every NFL game across major networks including CBS, Fox, NBC, ABC, ESPN and NFL Network. Choose the Pro package to unlock 200+ channels and limitless DVR storage, or elevate your game-day experience with the Elite with Sports Plus package, featuring NFL RedZone’s commercial-free scoring highlights and stunning 4K quality.
Test drive the service with a no-commitment seven-day free trial, and share the excitement with family and friends — Fubo supports simultaneous streaming on up to 10 devices, so everyone can watch their favorite teams.
You can watch today’s game with a subscription to Sling’s Orange + Blue tier, which includes ESPN, ABC, NBC, and Fox. The plan offers 46 channels with local NFL games, nationally broadcast games, and 50 hours of DVR storage. For complete NFL coverage, add Paramount+ to get CBS games, or upgrade with the Sports Extra add-on for additional sports channels like Golf Channel, NBA TV and NFL RedZone.
Watching NFL games, including Fox broadcasts, is simple with Hulu + Live TV, which includes 90 channels, unlimited DVR storage, and access to NFL preseason games, live regular season games and studio shows. The service includes ESPN+ and Disney+ in the subscription.
Want to watch today’s game live on your smartphone? If so, NFL+ streaming service is the solution you’re looking for. It lets you watch NFL Network and out-of-market games on mobile devices, with an upgrade option to NFL+ Premium that includes NFL RedZone for watching up to eight games simultaneously. Note that NFL+ only works on phones and tablets, not TVs.